Taxman menaces 95 year old widow

HMRC

The taxman has issued a shocking threat to a 95-year old woman, warning her that her possessions may be confiscated, despite the fact that she has actually paid too much tax.

Elderly Beryl Frew, who is suffering from a high blood pressure and failing eyesight, was recently sent a threatening letter as she struggled to cope with filling out HMRC tax forms that are too complex for many able-minded professionals.

She was sent a bill for £3,946 and a letter that said: "We are arranging a visit to your house. We will view your possessions and list those that we will sell at auction. We strongly advise you to avoid this as it will cost you much more to pay this way and can be embarrassing."

However following an investigation by, it transpires that Mrs Frew has actually paid too much tax, and is owed £360 by HMRC. What occurred that HMRC again made errors, and their debt recover department was notified of the excess payment, and thus they issued the aggressive letter.

A spokesman says: “We apologise to Mrs Frew for the distress caused. The letter was issued in error and we are urgently looking into how this happened. We will be contacting Mrs Frew to apologise and put her mind at rest.”